In an act of tremendous courage, the James’ chose their five-year anniversary post to acknowledge that they “have their ups and downs”.
Friends and family are astonished at the hard truths on display in what is typically a positive celebration of love.
“I could never do that,” says the couples’ friend, Jenna Montgomery. “I usually just say nice stuff in my anniversary posts. But I guess they’re more courageous than me.”
Brenda and Harvey James posted the photo of themselves on Instagram at 11:32am on Saturday, the five-year anniversary of when they began dating. In the 125-word caption, the couple bravely chose to dig into some of their interpersonal problems.
“Though we sometimes have our ups and downs,” the post read, “we will always stick together through thick and thin. We’ll be the first to admit we often drive each other crazy, but we wouldn’t trade these five years for anything.”
“It’s a really blunt anniversary post. Usually it’s just like ‘I’m so lucky,’ or something like that,” says Harvey’s friend, Roland Tanner. “I can’t believe they did this. That level of honesty made me uncomfortable, if I’m being truthful.”
The post, which has received 41 likes and several heart emoji comments, did not stop with the admission that the two lovers can get on each other’s nerves. Bravely abandoning all relationship decorum, the post continued on, brutally and truthfully dragging both of the partners through the ringer.
“Though I often want to kick his butt, and while I know I drive him crazy,” the couple continued in the caption, “our love is strong. Through all the fights, the tears and the laughs, we have always continued being each other’s everything. Here’s to another five years.”
“It was truly a wild journey reading that post,” recalls Brenda’s friend, Ashley. “I was like, of all the venues in which to air these grievances, a five-year anniversary post is maybe the most unexpected. Kudos to them, I guess.”
The couple has received an outpouring of love and support from family and friends, all of whom applauded the couple’s disarming honesty. So how will the couple choose to follow up this act of courage?
“The other day he asked me to hurry up in the shower because he needed to go to the bathroom,” Brenda tells us. “I started drafting our six-year anniversary post right then.”
